TWILIGHT SLEEP Meaning and
Definition
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Twilight sleep refers to a medical procedure used to relieve pain during childbirth. It involves administering a combination of drugs that induce both sedation and analgesia, allowing the expectant mother to experience reduced pain and a state of semi-consciousness. The procedure was commonly used during the early 20th century but has since fallen out of favor.
The term "twilight" refers to the temporary suspension between full wakefulness and deep sleep, while "sleep" implies a condition of rest or unconsciousness. Therefore, twilight sleep describes the state induced during childbirth where the expectant mother is sedated and in a state of reduced awareness, enabling her to tolerate the pains of labor without full consciousness.
Historically, the administration of twilight sleep involved a combination of drugs such as morphine and scopolamine. Morphine provided relief from pain, while scopolamine induced amnesia, blocking the memories of the traumatic birthing experience. However, the procedure had significant drawbacks, including potential side effects for both mother and baby, prolonged labor, and a loss of control over the birthing process.
Modern obstetric practices have largely replaced the use of twilight sleep with other pain relief techniques such as epidural anesthesia. These techniques provide safer options for pain management during childbirth, ensuring the well-being of both the mother and the baby.
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A mental condition in which, as Guttmann says, perception remains but apperception is lost; specifically, an amnesic state induced by the administration of morphine, or narcophine, and scopolamine, in which the pains of childbirth are perceived but slightly if at all, or else, if felt, are very speedily forgotten.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for TWILIGHT SLEEP
- rwilight sleep
- fwilight sleep
- gwilight sleep
- ywilight sleep
- 6wilight sleep
- 5wilight sleep
- tqilight sleep
- tailight sleep
- tsilight sleep
- teilight sleep
- t3ilight sleep
- t2ilight sleep
- twulight sleep
- twjlight sleep
- twklight sleep
- twolight sleep
- tw9light sleep
- tw8light sleep
- twikight sleep
Etymology of TWILIGHT SLEEP
The term "twilight sleep" was coined in the early 20th century to describe a method of pain relief used during childbirth. The word "twilight" refers to the experience of being in a state between wakefulness and sleep, where sensory perception is decreased. The term "sleep" refers to the sedative effect of the drugs used in this method. The concept of "twilight sleep" was popularized by German physicians, primarily Hermann J. Schultze and Carl Gauss, who developed a technique involving a combination of scopolamine (a drug with sedative properties) and morphine, administered to the mother during labor.
Similar spelling words for TWILIGHT SLEEP
